Never Comes But Goes
by Maaya
Summary: It was the thin, rather bad tempered Fullmetal Alchemist. HavocxEd


Pre-Havoc/Ed? (Could pretty much be gen, too.) PG  
Written for the tempsmort challenge "Book lines", so the first sentence is from Enid Blyton's "Malory Towers" series. Replacing, of course, a name with "Fullmetal Alchemist" instead.

**Never Comes but Goes  
by Maaya**

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It was the thin, rather bad-tempered Fullmetal Alchemist. Soaked to the bone, even, with a box held carefully before him as he stomped impatiently in Havoc's doorway. Water dripped from his coat onto the floor, and from his hair, creating small drops at the tip of his nose. And, Havoc noted with a wince, there was a sharp wrinkle between the boy's eyebrows. An annoyed Edward Elric was standing on Havoc's doorstep; could things be worse?

Havoc's first thought was to close the door on the visitor, but he caught himself at the last moment. Treating this situation delicately was probably the best thing to do, despite the fact he wasn't even sure what the situation _was_ yet.

He doubted it could be anything good, though.

And here Havoc had been expecting a quiet night with cigarettes, perhaps some music and then bed. Lonely, perhaps, but_ safe_. Edward wasn't safe. Anything but.

Havoc rubbed his neck and decided that perhaps letting Edward inside was the best (and only) thing he could do. He moved aside with a hesitant grin. "Not a very nice weather, eh, boss?"

Stepping inside, Edward barely graced Havoc's attempt to lighten the mood with a snort, muttering under his breath something rude about demanding brothers and _goddamned rain_. His boots came off and into a corner with a wet "poft"-sound, the box placed onto the floor and then Edward turned towards Havoc with a questioning expression.

"Where do you want me to hang the coat?" he wondered. He shrugged out of the clothing in question. A puddle had shaped underneath Edward already, the coat probably guilty of most of the water.

Havoc shrugged. "Bathroom. I need my own clothes dry."

Having at least the decency to look mildly embarrassed, Edward's frown disappeared momentarily as he moved to pick up his boots from the corner as Havoc took his guest's coat and shirt and stepped into his bathroom. He arranged them awkwardly on the edge of the bathtub. He'd take care of them later. Or Edward would, hopefully, but Havoc figured that at the moment he'd better find out about his superior's intention before demanding anything else.

On his way out, he grabbed the cleanest towel he saw around. (Not very clean really, he had put of doing the laundry for god knows how long, now.)

In the hallway, Edward was standing on his knees, leaning over the box.

"I need you to do me a favour," Edward muttered slowly, reaching into the box and doing something, Havoc couldn't see what.

"Uh," Havoc said. He let the towel fall over Edward's shoulders. The boy stiffened in surprise, then relaxed and began to dry his face, moving aside to let Havoc see the box.

Havoc was somewhat discouraged to see that the lid of the box was open and inside…was a tiny grey kitten peering out with wary eyes. He coughed in surprise. The animal looked like it was too small to even "meow" and its wet fur was plastered to its small body.

Edward looked embarrassed now, the last of his irritation melting away as he began to rub the towel against his face in an attempt to hide his flush "It's Al's fault," he said. He moved the towel nervously began to dry his automail arm.

A voice in the back of Havoc's mind wanted to ask if Edward wanted some machine oil, but it seemed strange to offer.

"Huh?" It was as much to fill the silence as it was querying.

"Yeah." Moving his automail wrist and drying it more carefully, an annoyed edge crept into Edward's tone again. "Found the cat outside in the rain and we couldn't bring it to Hughes'. Gracia is allergic you know. Couldn't really throw it out again."

Havoc could see where this was going. And naturally, he wasn't sure he liked it. "I can't take care of a cat, boss."

Edward's eyes glittered dangerously. "Why not?"

Havoc rubbed his neck again, tilting his head back as if the ceiling could help him out." Why don't you go to someone else?"

Edward reached out; the kitten let out a tired sound as it was picked up in his human hand and cradled carefully. "Lieutenant Hawkeye has a dog; she can't take a cat as well. And Mustang," he hesitated, shrugging. "I wouldn't trust him with anything."

And with that he walked into Havoc's apartment and settled onto the couch to dry the kitten off. Havoc sighed. Why did this happen to him?

He gave up. "Only over the night."

"Mm," Edward muttered. He seemed to suddenly notice how his damp pants were getting the couch wet. "Oh."

Havoc raised one shoulder to a slight half-shrug. "It's wet now, anyway."

Edward looked unsure, but settled after a moment. He seemed a little lost now, having taken care of the urgent business with the stubbornness that had been required, and it was now melting away.

"Hey, thanks," he said, awkwardly crossing and uncrossing his ankles before him. "Alphonse would've killed me if I let that kitten outside." He looked towards the window, against which rain had smattered the whole evening.

Havoc offered a wry smile, sitting down beside the boy. "Can't let Alphonse down, can we?" He paused. "Do you want anything?"

Edward had started to pet the kitten; it had curled up against his leg, sleeping deeply in a way only a very young creature would. Edward glanced at the animal and his eyes were fonder than he would probably have liked to admit. Havoc somehow doubted that it had been only Alphonse who had cared to see the kitten in a warm place over the night. "Nah. I'm not staying."

Lucky. Havoc didn't think he had anything but a few beers and perhaps some bread at home. Shopping day was tomorrow and he had never been very well-equipped in the kitchen. And while he himself had been drinking way before coming of age, helping someone else to do the same would feel pretty uncomfortable. For some reason, even more so when it was Edward Elric. The boy was frighteningly young for seeming so old, and the opposite as well.

Still. The rain continued to smatter against the window with depressing force. Havoc smiled sheepishly. "You can sleep on the couch if you want."

Edward looked down at the damp furniture with a raised eyebrow. "I'll pass."

Another curtain of rain.

"...ot not." Edward flushed. "I'm probably more used to kittens than you. I'll take care of it tonight." He looked unsure. "Is that okay?"

Havoc leaned back, slowly reaching out to pet the kitten. It was true; he didn't have much experience with cats. While his family admittedly had owned a barn-cat, he'd never cared to get close to it. He was more of a dog-person, had preferred the dogs when he'd been a kid. "Sure," he said.

There went his calm night out of the window. At least his loneliness followed it into the rain.

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**end**

One of those things I've written that partly makes me go "bweh" but I still can't help but post.


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